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Article

9 Apr 2012

Author:
Kyoto Minpo

In response to PM Noda's announcement about restarting the Kansai nuclear reactors, students protest in the streets [Japan]

[Title and summary translation from original Japanese provided by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre] With the new standards on safety measures that were proposed by the Prime Minister Noda and others in order to get the Kansai Electric/Ohi Reactors Unit 3 and 4 back to work, Kyoto's college students organized an emergency protest in the city against the resumption of the nuclear reactors. Since last June, students have appealed towards denuclearization, creating an organization called "Nuclear Reactor Zero Action". The demo had called out to people through Twitter and other social networks from the day before; over 70 people joined the protest. The protest started from in front of the Kyoto City Hall (Nagakyo-ku) and made its way to Enyama Park (Higashiyama-ku), chanting slogans such as: "Don't pollute Kyoto!" "Don't pollute Lake Biwa!" "Don't restart the Ohi Nuclear Reactors!" During the march, young people joined from the sidelines along the course, and spectators waved their hands to show their support. Shinichi Matsuda (21) from Ritsumeikan College said, "It isnt acceptable to go forward with talks of restarting the reactors when they haven't gotten an agreement from the residents of Shiga Prefecture where Kyoto and Lake Biwa are located." A female student (24) from Seika College who joined after looking at a Twitter post says, "I thought protests were scary, but I jonied because I had to give voice my opinions." She went on to say that on television the word is that "restarting the nuclear reactors is necessary" but online the word is "DANGER" -- its totally different. A member of the Japanese Communist Party, Ryoichi Kamijyo (26) also joined in the protest.